Russian judge delays Politkovskaya murder trial

From left: Pavel Ryguzov, Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, Ibragim and Dhzabrail Makhmudov sit behind bars at a court room in Moscow in this Nov. 17, 2008 file picture. The suspects being tried on murder charges are Sergei Khadzhikurbanov _ a former Moscow police officer _ and the Makhmudov brothers, Ibrag

/ AP

From left: Pavel Ryguzov, Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, Ibragim and Dhzabrail Makhmudov sit behind bars at a court room in Moscow in this Nov. 17, 2008 file picture. The suspects being tried on murder charges are Sergei Khadzhikurbanov _ a former Moscow police officer _ and the Makhmudov brothers, Ibragim and Dzhabrail. A lawyer says a Moscow court has reversed itself and ordered the murder trial of journalist Anna Politkovskaya closed to the public. Lawyer Karinna Moskalenko says the Moscow District Military Court made the decision after jurors refused to enter the courtroom fearing publicity from journalists covering the trial. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev, file)

From left: Pavel Ryguzov, Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, Ibragim and Dhzabrail Makhmudov sit behind bars at a court room in Moscow in this Nov. 17, 2008 file picture. The suspects being tried on murder charges are Sergei Khadzhikurbanov _ a former Moscow police officer _ and the Makhmudov brothers, Ibragim and Dzhabrail. A lawyer says a Moscow court has reversed itself and ordered the murder trial of journalist Anna Politkovskaya closed to the public. Lawyer Karinna Moskalenko says the Moscow District Military Court made the decision after jurors refused to enter the courtroom fearing publicity from journalists covering the trial. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev, file) (/ AP)

MIKE ECKEL, The Associated Press

The trial of three men accused of murdering Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was adjourned Thursday for 10 days, adding to growing doubts about the transparency and fairness of one of Russia's highest profile cases.

The judge in the case cited a defense lawyer's scheduling conflicts as the reason for the adjournment, even though the lawyer said there weren't any.

A juror, meanwhile, denied that the 12-member jury had asked that the media be barred from the Moscow District Military Court, insisting that the court itself had made the decision.

Politkovskaya embarrassed the Kremlin with her reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya. Her killing in 2006 sparked international outrage and renewed fears about the safety of journalists working in Russia.

On Monday, Judge Yevgeny Zubov ruled that proceedings should be open to the media, after pleas from relatives and rights groups who hoped that public scrutiny would yield new information.

The court then reversed the decision Wednesday, saying jurors feared the publicity would put them at risk of harassment or violence – a decision criticized by Politkovskaya's relatives, media watchdogs and rights groups.

Juror Yevgeny Kolesov said jury members had discussed the issue but hadn't asked the court to bar the media.

"The initiative didn't come from us," he told Ekho Moskvy radio on Thursday. "There was talk about 'let see what happens, we're not opposed to the press, we want to see how it will be, if they bother us, then we would ask them to be barred.'"

Three men are being tried on murder charges: former Moscow police officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov and brothers Ibragim and Dzhabrail Makhmudov.

The man accused of shooting Politkovskaya, Rustam Makhmudov, has fled the country. He is the brother of the two men on trial.

The case is being heard in a military court because a fourth defendant is a Federal Security Service officer. He is accused of criminal links to Khadzhikurbanov, but has not been charged in the killing.

Judge Zubov ordered the trial adjourned until Dec. 1 "in connection with the unavailability of a defense lawyer."

Defense lawyer Murad Musayev said Zubov referred to him specifically in postponing the trial over his objections.

"I told the judge, 'I'm not engaged in any cases and am completely free to participate in this hearing,'" Musayev told The Associated Press.

The judge said the decision had been made and it would not be reversed, Musayev said.

Karinna Moskalenko, a lawyer for the Politkovskaya family, confirmed the exchange, but said she couldn't comment further.

Lawyers for Politkovskaya's family have been scathing in their criticism of the official investigation, which they said was sabotaged to allow the suspected triggerman and the as-yet-unidentified mastermind to escape justice.

Vladimir Putin, who was president at the time of the murder, and Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika described the killing as a plot to discredit Russia, saying the investigation would lead to finding a mastermind abroad.